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Molecules, Mind and Matter

Useful Reviews

Lisa Kaaki –28th July 2016

Molecules, Mind and Matter recounts the birth and the meteoric development of the petrochemical industry in the Arabian Gulf. Behind the facts and figures, the author highlights the outstanding role played by a few remarkable individuals, which provide the reader with some fascinating insight in to this epic story. At the end of the book, we long to know more about these exceptional entrepreneurs and statesmen who had the vision, the resolve and the capacity to develop a petrochemical industry in the Arabian Gulf.New book documents history of GCC petrochemical industry by Lisa Kaaki, ArabNews.com – March 16, 2016

Molecules, Mind and Matter

Molecules, Mind and Matter:
How the Arabian Gulf Became a Global Petrochemical Hub

This pioneering study provides the first-ever account of the extraordinary entrepreneurs who created a new industrial pillar for the economies of the countries in the Arabian Gulf region. It is an important, untold story of progress and hope and of modern technology transforming waste into valued products.

Today, the petrochemical industry of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries provides no less than 10 percent of global chemical output by volume. Multiple factors underlie the creation of the industry over the past half-century. Far-sighted leaders courageously committed billions of dollars to develop world-class infrastructure. GCC nationals employed in petrochemical enterprises saw their apprenticeship and employment as a patriotic mission. International oil companies brought know-how and expertise. Government-directed ventures set the stage for the emergence of a flourishing private sector.

Successive chapters deal with the earliest beginnings of the industry, the creation and growth of Saudi Arabia’s SABIC, and the development of petrochemical enterprises in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. The final section reviews the state of the industry today, as it prepares for fresh challenges and opportunities.

Richly researched and written by a respected authority on the life of the GCC countries, Molecules, Mind and Matter sets the frame for all future analysis of this major aspect of modern culture.

Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun received a Ph.D. in industrial chemistry from King’s College, University of London, United Kingdom, and is a graduate of the General Management Program of the Harvard Business School, Harvard University, USA, and of several executive management and technical training programs at leading institutions in Japan, the United States, and Europe.

Al-Sadoun began his career as a senior researcher at SABIC Research and Development Center in Saudi Arabia. He then worked for several of the most prominent agencies in the region, including Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) and the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC). Since 2009 he has served as secretary general of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA). He is also a member of the Steering Committee of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) and the Board of Trustees of the Riyadh Economic Forum and the Arabian Society for Human Resources Management (ASHRM).

Dr. Al-Sadoun is the author of over twenty-five articles on the regional petrochemical industry published in refereed international journals and is the co-author of two U.S. patents.

1 review for Molecules, Mind and Matter

Lisa Kaaki –28th July 2016

Molecules, Mind and Matter recounts the birth and the meteoric development of the petrochemical industry in the Arabian Gulf. Behind the facts and figures, the author highlights the outstanding role played by a few remarkable individuals, which provide the reader with some fascinating insight in to this epic story. At the end of the book, we long to know more about these exceptional entrepreneurs and statesmen who had the vision, the resolve and the capacity to develop a petrochemical industry in the Arabian Gulf.New book documents history of GCC petrochemical industry by Lisa Kaaki, ArabNews.com – March 16, 2016